The protests, organised by the Joint Trades Union Committee, will be staged between noon and 2pm every Wednesday.

Members of all 13 unions which are recognised by the council – including Unison, Unite, GMB and NUT – will be present and say they plan to talk to members of the public about what the cuts will mean.

Debbie McKenzie, secretary of the Reading branch of Unison, said: “The Government has repeatedly stated that cuts are essential and inevitable but the trades unions believe that there are alternatives.

“We have supported improvements in efficiency and will continue to do so, but we will not support cuts that fall most severely on the most vulnerable in society.

“Our members are out there on the front lines every day and are worried about what cuts will mean to the people they work with.”